USDA’s Rejection of Downer Cows Ban

In the wake of the largest beef recall in the nation's history a
heated debate has risen between those who support a ban on downer cows
to prevent them from entering the food supply, and those like
Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer who told Congress that he would not
endorse an outright ban on downer cows entering the food supply or back
stiffer penalties for regulatory violations by meat-processing plants,
for he said, "I do believe there are cases where downer animals can be
approved by the veterinarian and put into the food supply,"... "They are
not sick." On the other hand, The Humane Society, which believes all
downers should be banned, sued the USDA over that policy, calling it a
"dangerous loophole."

This exemplifies the callousness of the meat industry towards human's
health and animal suffering. The fact that the plight of downer cows is
completely ignored shows clearly that they are considered commodities
and not God's animals, sentient beings.